UConn football a role model - and target - for Vanderbilt

Associated PressConnecticut's Lyle McCombs, right, is tackled by Fordham defenders during the season opener for both teams, which the Huskies won, 35-3.

By TERESA M. WALKER
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — James Franklin has reminded his Vanderbilt Commodores of Connecticut's list of successes from the Huskies' run of four straight bowls capped by their Big East championship last season.

"This team's won a lot of games, and that's the direction we're trying to head," Franklin said.

For the Commodores, the only mention they need about UConn is last year's game when Vanderbilt scored 21 points in the second quarter to tie up the Huskies at halftime only to go flat while losing 40-21. It's a loss that still stings.

"We kind of have a chip on our shoulders," Vanderbilt senior tight end Brandon Barden said. "We've been talking about it in the locker room, how they got us last year and we feel like we should've won the game. This year we feel we should step it up and take it to another level with them."

The Huskies (1-0) visit Saturday night for the third game in this series with each team having won on its home field. UConn is coming off a 35-3 win over Fordham in veteran coach Paul Pasqualoni's debut with the Huskies, while Vanderbilt gave Franklin a 45-14 win over Elon in his first game with the Commodores.

Vandy is trying to string together wins for its first winning streak since 2008 with wins over Mississippi and Auburn, which would allow Franklin to match the three of the past four Commodores coaches for success in the first season.

This is part of a three-game homestand for Vanderbilt, and this non-conference game is crucial to any possible bowl hopes the Commodores have with a visit from Mississippi on Sept. 17 the first of eight Southeastern Conference games. At least Franklin has one starting quarterback in senior Larry Smith, while Pasqualoni is playing three quarterbacks and trying to settle on just one starter.

Smith threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score against Elon, and he wants a little payback himself after being picked off twice by the Huskies a year ago.

"That was really disappointing for us so hopefully we can use that as motivation to go out Saturday and play better than we did last year," Smith said.

UConn has won four of its past five road openers, but Pasqualoni has his hands full right now trying to settle on one quarterback. He's playing three in redshirt junior Johnny McEntee, Scott McCummings and freshman Mike Nebrich. The Huskies have three small playbooks designed around what each quarterback can do best.

"Trying to feature and trying to focus on what each of these guys we feel their strengths are. And to their credit, they're doing a pretty good job with what we're asking them to do," Pasqualoni said.

"As we go, we'll let this thing keep working and the cream kind of rises to the top so to speak, and I think that'll happen here in the next few weeks."

Settling on a quarterback is a little easier with the running backs Pasqualoni has. Freshman Lyle McCombs ran for 141 yards against Fordham, and senior D.J. Shoemate will play after sitting out the opener with a sprained right ankle.

"I'm about 90 (percent) now," Shoemate said. "I'm feeling really good. I've got the strength back, the stability back, my vision, everything is going really, really well." ''I've been doing treatments three times a day. I'm a worker so I'm going to do whatever I can to get back on the field as fast as possible."

With the changeover on the coaching staffs, there will be plenty of familiarity Saturday night. Franklin was the head coach in waiting at Maryland before being hired at Vanderbilt, and he brought four coaches with him. Pasqualoni hired Don Brown away from Maryland as his defensive coordinator. Franklin said he has a lot of respect for Brown as an aggressive coach.

That puts the pressure on Vanderbilt's offense, which was outgained in the opener by Elon, a team from the Football Championship Subdivision.

"We're not in position to be saving anything for anybody," Franklin said. "We've got to go into each game shooting every bullet we've got to give us a chance to be successful. We're not in the business of saving points or plays."